Taiwo Awoniyi’s brace pushes Nottingham Forest closer to Premier League safety

By Wale Mustapha

Nigerian striker, Taiwo Awoniyi returned to scoring mood on Monday netting twice in Nottingham Forest’s 4-3 win over fellow Premier League relegation strugglers, Southampton.

The Super Eagles’ striker whose last goal was against the Monday opponent in January scoring the lone goal that gave the Triky Trees the win at St. Mary’s Stadium.

The towering striker has been out with injury since then and only returned to action few weeks ago to help Steve Cooper fight to survive the drop in the English top flight.

Awoniyi opened the scoring on the night with smart finish off a well measured squared pass from Brennan Johnson.

The Nigerian striker volleyed in his second on the turn from Danilo’s pass after a slip in Southampton defense, making it his sixth goal of an injury blighted campaign.

Carlos Alcaraz halved the deficit for the bottom placed club as he get to the end of Stuart Armstrong’s cross.

However, Forest restored their two goal cushion before the break as Morgan Gibbs-White scored from the spot after Ainsley Maitland-Niles lost control of the ball and took down Johnson.

The visitors responded again early into restart as substitute Lyanco headed in a corner from captain James Ward-Prowse’s corner.

As it was in the first half, Nottingham responded as quickly as possible to score again for their fourth goal of the night with Gibbs-White flicking a pass to Johnson whose met Danilo in a good position to smash home.

There were more time for Southampton to get their third goal from the spot and was converted by Ward-Prowse but it was too little too late for Alex Telles’ boys to complete the comeback.

Forest have noe been leapfrogged into 16th, and they now hold a vital three-point cushion to the drop zone.

Southampton on the other hand must win their three remaining games and hope for favourable results elsewhere, as they face the most difficult of tasks to remain in the English top-flight.